Commissioners Rezone Property For Dump Truck Business

A dump truck business that was operating on a residential tract of land in Archer Lodge has been rezoned to meet compliance.

In March, the Johnston County Planning Department received a complaint about several dump trucks parking on a tract of land at 5650 Applewhite Road near Archer Lodge in Wilders Township.

Immediately after the owner found he was not in compliance he applied for rezoning and a special use permit with the County.

During a public hearing on July 9th, Herculano Mendoza told Johnston County Commissioners he owned the 7.66 acre lot and had been parking 8 dump trucks on the site for his business. He requested permission to rezone 2.05 acres for the trucks. Mendoza said the trucks haul dirt, gravel and other materials to customers sites but none of the material is stored on site.

He told commissioners, he planned to build his own home on the remaining 5.61 acres of the property in the next 15 years or so.

Mendoza said he had been using the site for his dump trucks for 4 years but did not realize he was not in compliance.

As part of the special use permit, commissioners required Mendoza to add a fence and buffers and limit the hours of operation from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday. The board also limited the maximum number of dump trucks on the site to eight. All outdoor storage must be in an enclosed building.

The county planning staff has recommended denial of the permit. The planning board voted last month 6-to-1 to approve the application after two people spoke with concerns.

Mendoza said he wanted to make the situation right with the county and with his neighbors.Johnston County Planning Department photos